Knockdown closet



C. ROSVENTHAL KNOCK-DOWN CLOSET Jan. 25, 1944.

Original Filed Aug. 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR,

By (mmm: /xasf/v THAL afg/.wf

A TTORNEVS Jan. 25, 1/944. lcz.` RQSENTHAL y KNo'cK-DowN CLosET original Filed Aug. 15, 1940 A2 sheets-sheet 2 22% mH n T N m www@ 0 on@ M Ressued Jan. 25, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rial No. 352,781, August 15, 1940.

Application for reissue October 26, 1943, Serial No. 507,708

(Cl. S12-144) 9 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for storage of clothing and has particular reference to an improved clothes closet composed of intertting units each of which is adapted to be collapsed to a flat compact arrangement for storage and shipment and when received by the purchaser, may be set up and assembled without difficulty.

The invention has in View a knock-down closet in which the end walls thereof are hingedly connected to the opposite ends of a spacing strip for movement of the said walls from a collapsed parallel relation with the spacing strip to an expanded right angular set up relation therewith.

The invention more particularly comprehends a knock-down closet composed of intertting units in which the main walls and a closure constitute one of the units, and the end walls and a spacing .strip hingedly connected thereto constitute the other unit and which end walls are swingable from a collapsed parallel relation with the spacing strip to a right angular relation therewith for receiving the main walls of the closet between the end walls and with the spacing strip forming a longitudinal edge of the closure opening, and with which edge the closure engages when in closed condition.

The invention further includes, in a knockdown closet of the indicated character, a rear wall, side walls and a pair of closures integrally and hingedly connected together to form one of the units of the closet and end walls having inwardly directed marginal rims and a spacing strip hingedly connected at its opposite ends to the rims of the end walls respectively to form the other unit and which end walls are swingable from a collapsed parallel relation with the spacing strip to an expanded right angular relation therewith for receiving the opposite ends of the rear, side walls and closures in surrounding relation with the flanges of the end walls and with the spacing strip longitudinally dividing the front of the closet to dei-ine a pair of o-penings and a parting strip between theclosures when in closed condition.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and the accompanying drawings in which there is illustrated the preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the body unit of a. knock-down closet.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a unit embodying the end walls and a parting strip to which they are hingedly connected and showing the saine respectively in full and broken lines in set-up and collapsed condition.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional View through the upper end of the closet illustrating the units in assembled relation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail perspective of the upper corner of one of the doors as viewed from the inner side thereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the closet includes a rear wall l0, oppcsitely disposed side walls Hand I2 hingedly connected to the rear wall, and closures I3 and I4 hingedly connected to the side walls respectively, and which Walls and closures are preferably fashioned from a length of corrugated cardboard, paperboard or other light inexpensive sheet material to provide an integrally and hingedly connected body section A which is adapted to be collapsed into flatly folded compact arrangement for storage or shipment.

The body unit A is reinforced by relatively stiff material, such as flat wooden strips l5 secured against the outer faces of the rear Wall ID and side walls Il and l2 adjacent the opposite ends thereof. The closures I3 and I4 are also preferably reinforced by marginal I'rames IB of similar material secured against the outer faces thereof adjacent their edges, the inner longitudinally extending strips I'I of the marginal frames having their confronting inner corners longitudinally rabbeted as at i8 and the outer edges thereof longitudinally grooved as at 2u l'or receiving the inner edges of the closure panels respectively.

The closet also includes a complementary unit, indicated generally by tne reference character B, which unit is adapted to interiit with the body unit A to complete the closet, The complementary unit B includes upper and lower end walls 2l and 22, each of' which consists of a rectangular panel preferably fashioned from corrugated cardboard, paperboard or other lignt inexpensive material, ancl which panel is provided with an inwardly directed marginal frame or rim 23 of wood or other stiff material.

The frames 23 have their inner faces grooved as at 24 in which are secured the edges of the panels and the inner edges and outer races thereof are rabbeted to provide confronting marginal recesses Z5 in which are fitted the opposite ends of the walls of the body unit A when the umts are in set-up condition.

The end walls 2l and 22 are hinged respectively to the opposite ends of a spacing strip 26 centrally of the front sides 2l of the frames 23 by hinges 28 to permit of the swinging of the said walls inwardly from a set-up condition at right angles to the strip, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, to a collapsed condition in parallel relation therewith, as shown in broken linestherein.

The spacing strip 2E has its opposite edges longitudinally rabbeted as at 29 and forms with the front side 2 of the frames 23 and the forward edges of the Side walls Il and l2, a pair of openings adapted to loe closed by the closures I3 and I4 respectively, with the opposite ends of the closures abutting against the bottom faces of the recesses 25 of the front sides 2l of the frames 23, and kwith the rabbeted edges of the strips l1 intertting with the rabbeted edges of the spacing strip 26 for eiectively sealing the edges of the closures when in closed condition. The opposite ends or" the spacing strips are notched to provide extensions 3i) which t into notches Si in the forward faces of the sides 2 of the frames 23. when the end walls are swung to set-up conditi-on. A bail 32, providing a hanger bar 33 for receiving garment hangers has its arm 35 pivoted at their upper ends on pins 35 to the opposite sides of the frame 23 of the upper wall 2l for swinging of the .bail with the upper wall to a parallel relation therewith when in collapsed condition.

In seting up and assembling the closet from collapsed condition, the end walls 2l and 22y are swung outwardly to dispose the same in right -angular relation Withthe. spacing strip 26. The

body unit is then expanded and tted between the end walls with the opposite ends of the re-ar and side walls of the body section secured in the recesses 25l of the frame 23 by latch and keeper elements 36 and` 37 carried by the frames 23 and the reinforcing strips l to thereby fasten the sections in assembled set-up condition with the closures I3 and. I4 located forwardly of the closet and in position to be swung to closed condition against the connecting strip swhich serves as a parting strip therebetween. Thev said strip is provided with keeper elements 3B and 39 adapted to be engaged by latches 4.0 and #lll carried by the strips l1. of the closures respectively for releasably latching the closures in closed condition. Handles l42. are respectively provided on the strips I1 of the closures for facilitating the opening andclosing thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a storage closet, a rear wall, .side 'walls hingedly connected to the rear wall, .anda pair of closures hingedly connected to the side walls respectively, end walls having rabbeted inwardly directed marginal rims and a spacing strip hingedly connected at its opposite ends to the rims of the end walls respectively for movement of the end walls from a collapsed parallel relation with the spacing strip to an expanded right angular relation therewith for receiving the rear, yside Walls and closures with the oppo-site ends thereof disposed in surrounding relation with the rabbeted portion of the said rims, and. said spacing strip subdividing the front of the closet to provide with `the end wallsand opposite side walls ar pair of openings, and said spacing strip providing a parting strip between the closures when in closed condition.

2. In a storage closet, a rear wall, .side walls hingedly connected to therear wall, anda -pair oiwclosures hingedly connected to the sidewalls respectively, end walls havinginwardly .directed marginal rims and a spacing strip hingedly connected at its opposite ends to the rims of the end walls respectively for movement of the end walls from a collapsed parallel relation with the spacing strip to an expanded right angular relatio-n therewith for receiving the rear, side walls and closures with the opposite ends thereof clisposed in surrounding relation with the said rims, and said spacing strip subdividing the front of the closet to provide with the end walls and opposite side walls a pair of openings, and said spacing strip providing a parting strip between the closures when in closed condition.

3. In a storage closet, a rear wall, side walls swingably connected to the rear wall, and a closure swingably connected to one of the side walls, end walls having inwardly directed rims, and a spacing strip hingedly connected at its opposite ends to the rims of the end walls respectively for movement of the end walls from a collapsed parallel relation with the spacing strip to an expanded right angular relation therewith for receiving the rear wall, side walls and closure with the opposite ends thereof disposed insurround.- ing relation with the rims respectively and` with closure engaging one of the longitudinal edges of the spacing strip when in closed condition.

4. In a storage closet, upper and lowery end walls having inwardly directed marginal rims, a bail having upwardly extending arms pivoted at their ends to the opposite sides of the rim of the v upper wall, and a spacing strip hinged at its 'the v spacing 'of the :body

opposite ends to the rims of the end Walls` respectively for movement of the end wallsv from an expanded right angular relation with.l the spacing strip to a collapsed parallel relation therewith and for swinging of the bail into parallel relation with the upper wall., when in cole lapsed condition.

5. In a storage closet, a rear wall, side walls swingably connected to the rear wall and a closure swingably connected to one of the` side walls, end walls having inwardly directedrims, anda spacing strip hingedly connected atits opposite ends to the rims of the end Walls respectively for inward swinging movement. of .said end walls in opposite directions and .towards each other to dispose the sameinto a collapsed .parallel relation with the spacing .strip and for` outward swinging movement into anexpanded set up relation with the end. walls. dis:- posed in` right angular. relation to .the spacing strip for receiving the rear wall, sidewalls` and Y closure withk the opposite ends thereof. engaging the .rims respectively and with the closuretengaging one of the. longitudinal `edgesof the spacing strip when in closedv condition, .and ymeans for retaining the rear and side wallsin `engagement with the rims of the end walls.

6. In a storage closet, a pair of complementary units adapted when assembled to provide a.` box structure having front, rear, side and end Walls, one of said units constituting the body and the other including the end walls having inwardly directed externally vrabbeted rims and a spacing -strip having hinged connection at` its opposite ends to said end walls respectively for inward swinging movement of said end walls in opposite directions and towards each other to dispose `the same into a collapsed parallel relation with vthe spacing strip and for outward swinging movement into an expanded set -up relation with the end walls disposed in right angular relation to stri-p -for engagement of the walls .in `(surrounding relation with Lthe rabbeted portions of the rims of the end walls respectively, and means for retaining the walls of the body in engagement with the rims of the end walls.

7. In a storage closet, a pair of complementary units adapted when assembled to provide a box structure having front, rear, side and end Walls, one of said units constituting the body and the other including the end walls having inwardly directed marginal rims and a spacing strip having hinged connection at its opposite ends to said end walls respectively for inward Swinging movement of said end walls in opposite directions and towards each other lto dispose the same into a collapsed parallel relation with the spacing strip and for outward swinging movement into an expanded set up relation with the end walls disposed in right angular relation to the spacing strip for engagement of the walls of the body with the end walls externally of and in surrounding relation with the rims of the end walls, said body including an integral front closure member adapted to engage the spacing strip in its closed position, and means for retaining the body and end walls in engagement with each other.

8. In a storage closet, a rear Wall, side walls hingedly connected to the rear wall, and a pair of closures hingedly connected to the side walls respectively, end walls having rabheted inwardly directed marginal rims and a spacing strip connected at its opposite ends to the rims of the end walls respectively with the end walls disposed in right angular relation therewith when in set up condition for receiving the rear, side walls and closures with the opposite ends thereof disposed in surrounding relation with the rabbeted portion of said rims, and said spacing strip subdividing the front of the closet to provide a pair of openings and forming a parting strip between the closures when in closed condition.

9. In a storage closet, a section forming the body thereof and including front, rear and side walls, end walls having inwardly directed marginal rims formed with rabbeted outer edges and a spacing strip connected at its opposite ends to said end walls respectively with the end walls disposed in right angular relation therewith when in set up condition for engagement of the walls of the body with the end walls thereof and disposed externally of and in surrounding relation with the rabbeted portion of said rims of the end walls, said front wall providing a closure member adapted to engage with the spacing strip in its closed position, and means for retaining the body and end Walls in engagement with each other.

CHARLES ROSENTHAL. 

